Atlanta Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons is one of the smoothest-fielding shortstops in the game and a productive bat in a mediocre Braves lineup, but his time in Atlanta could be running out.
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Braves Ask for Top Starter From Mets
Thursday, Nov. 12
Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported New York inquired on Simmons, only to be told it would take either Matt Harvey or Jacob de Grom in return. Sherman added there was "no way" the Mets would meet those demands.
Dodgers Have Interest in Simmons
Thursday, Nov. 12
Sherman reported on the Los Angeles Dodgers' interest, adding that talks are at "very early stages."
Angels Reportedly in Talks Regarding Simmons
Thursday, Nov. 12
Buster Olney of ESPN.com, citing sources, reported the Los Angeles Angels are "among the teams" talking to Atlanta regarding Simmons, adding Erick Aybar is under contract for only one more season.
Padres Reportedly Interested in Simmons
Wednesday, Nov. 11
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune's Dennis Lin, the San Diego Padres have called the Braves about Simmons but are nowhere near a deal at the moment.
For the Padres, they haven't gotten much out of their shortstops in Alexi Amarista, who hit just .204 in 118 games, and 36-year-old Clint Barmes, who clubbed .232 last season. Getting a more productive bat in Simmons would help round out a Padres lineup that looks formidable on paper, though it didn't translate onto the field in 2015.
Braves Fielding Proposals for Potential Simmons Deal
Wednesday, Nov. 11
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports noted the Braves are listening to offers:
Atlanta did some major rebuilding last year, trading off some high-priced veteran pieces for prospects, but Simmons is a young star with five years to go on his contract who is seen as one of the game's two or three best defensive players.
However, the Braves have shown one thing over the past year, and that is that they are open to just about everything.
Simmons Has Developed Into One of Baseball's Best Defensive Players
The 26-year-old batted .265 with four home runs and 44 RBI in 2015, but it's his play in the field that has left the biggest mark. On Wednesday, he was named the 2015 Wilson Defensive Player of the Year for all position players, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
O'Brien delved into Simmons' fielding prowess:
Simmons, widely regarded as the best defensive shortstop since Ozzie Smith and Omar Vizquel, has won the Fielding Bible and Wilson awards as the majors’ best shortstop in all three of his full major league seasons. He had won consecutive National League shortstop Gold Gloves before the surprising announcement Tuesday that the San Francisco Giants’ Brandon Crawford had edged him out for this year’s award.
Simmons has the range to make any grounder look like a possible out and a cannon of an arm to gun down even the speediest of runners. MLB on Twitter highlighted one of his finest plays in the field:
With the kind of play Simmons has shown over his first four seasons, the Braves might be getting a few more offers for their shortstop. While it might be difficult dealing one of the team's brightest stars, getting multiple assets could address more glaring problems within the Braves roster.
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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